The new teaching model of the world

The new teaching model of the world incorporates problem based learning, project-based learning and challenge based learning focusing on real problems faced in the real world . It engages students’ curiosity and desire to learn to solve of real problems at the center of the curriculum, and giving students access to 21st century tools, help them to work collaboratively on their own time . In 21st century learning students direct the course of their learning and engage teachers in a supportive role as guides .


Challenge-based learning brings relevance to class work . It gives students the opportunity to focus on a challenge of global significance, yet apply themselves to developing local solutions, challenge-based learning creates a space where students can direct their own research into real-world matters and think critically about how to apply what they learn . It increases their engagement, time spent in learning, creative application of technology, and increases student satisfaction with education . And students master the subject-area of content and developed many of the skills identified as vital for 21st century learners.


in problem-based learning, the teacher’s primary role shifts from dispensing information to guiding the construction of knowledge by his or her students around an initially ill-defined problem . Students refine the problem, develop research questions, investigate the topic using a wide variety of primary source material,
and work out a variety of possible solutions before identifying the most reasonable one . Documentation of the process and a high-quality production of findings further serve to give the process relevance to the world of actual work .

Telecentres for Innovating Youth Education for 21st Century

The mixed experiences of last 5 Years of engagement of rural education development through Nenasala telecentres has thought me that success of ICT4D depends on dedicated and committed people more than resources or market opportunities. The development of education brings impact directly in the lives of people as evident from Lahugala Nenasala Telecentre located in South east part of Sri Lanka which helped changing the shape of education in their village through Shilpa Sayura.

They wrote to me,


This poem means that

"Shilpa Sayura is the rain came on a dry land faced with the draught"


these words gives us an insights of value we can create through ICT in their lives.
Last decade we had been using ICT as a tool in education, now we find that ICT as a foundation which can be used to build future perspectives that removes disparities to access to national education. It’s clear that every nation in the world will continue to compete in a global economy that demands innovation. In this race where ever in the world poor people are like one nation without access to education.

In an era people are talking of radical re-generation of education, the context of delivery is as important as content. Hence we see Telecentres has a great potential to play a major role in 21st Century national education delivery by thinking beyond informal role played in development. This is demonstrated by Telecentres who changed the shape of the education in their villages using Shilpa Sayura, and become sustainable as a result even without connectivity.

People often say that future can't be predicted as it has more parameters than any scientific equation. Yet we have known that experienced human minds can process complex equations to develop novel ideas for the future. Shilpa Sayura as an ICT4D initiative explored formal education delivery through Telecentres and seems to have found a solution to develop rural education for 21st Century and also for sustaining of telecentres engaging them in mainstream national education development process.

Niranjan Meegammana
Shilpa Sayura Foundation

http://www.shilpasayura.org/

ICT for Innovating Youth Education for 21st Century Skills

The society we live today was unimaginable 10 Years before. It’s not just examples of facebook, YouTube or mobile phones in every hand. Its the ICT innovations that changed the world. In 1970s we had little Tuition for weak students. It started to grow in 1980s, grew big in 90s and today Tuition has become a defacto where bright students takes most tuition. Societies Innovate when competition and resource limitations are faced. In World Telecentres appeared in 1990s, bubbled in 2005s now we see sustainable Telecentres growing in the in mainstream.

In the ICT4D arena many ideas have been bloomed. Some managed to become mature taking path finding approaches. ICT4D journeys which acquired mixed experiences. Some excelled, some got tired and vanished. The ones which matured, got kept moving, along the vision using the lessons learned from experiences to get further. All the insights may not be fore-sights, but one idea to be successful, it may be worth testing several. Then ICT for sights are become global examples.

From the experiences we understand that future can't be predicted. Future has more parameters than any scientific equation. Yet experienced human minds can process such complex equations to imagine shape of the things to come. Those who can build such scenarios will create novel ideas that would be paid back in future. They will excel when the time comes. Arthur C. Clarke imagined the shape of the new communication, he wrote it and others followed.

Last decade many developing countries had been focusing in using ICT as a tool to develop the society. When we look at experiences gained in a learned perspective, we will find that ICT is more than a tool, but a foundation which can be used to build futures. especially In the area of education, ICT has helped the word to progress much by connecting schools, introducing online education, setting up distance vocational training facilities, and introducing of ICT in to main stream curriculum. Where will we go from here in innovating education?

It’s clear that tomorrow’s world will test youth for 21st century readiness. Every nation will continue to compete in a global economy that demands innovation. As we are learning today's global education approaches seen as outdated and obsolete. People are talking of radical re-generation of education. Educators are more thinking what is more important in education? Whether it’s memorizing of the prime god of Mesapothemia ? or knowing why Messapothemia was demised? The latter knowledge will help a person and world in the efforts for survival?

Hence educators in the world over re-thinking of changing education paradigms to make education more contributing to innovation. Educators are thinking along new perspectives like four Cs, which is an education concept gaining high recognition in developed countries.

The four Cs are

• 1. Critical thinking and Problem solving
  
  
• 2. Communication
  
  
• 3. Collaboration
  
  
• 4. Creativity and innovation.

In United States leading schools are already following this idea by aligning education curriculum to 4Cs. Looking at 4Cs we can immediately tell that 4Cs are about new media skills like internet, social networks that have become dominant in shaping world. Hence ICT is a core 21st Century skill to align 4Cs for the educational curriculum. We need to train every youth to use ICT to solve problems effectively, and to communicate locally and globally using creative media, and collaborate with others for innovation. If the concept of knowledge society to become real, we need to find new ways to deliver knowledge to people more creatively, more efficiently using new channels like social networks and mobiles.

In time to come, nations will be measured how innovative they would be and what new knowledge they process and how they communicate such knowledge and collaborate creating solutions to problems. If we are to develop our youth to take 21st century challenges and win, we need to make them more innovative. We know that, Innovation is an output of creativity which can be enabled by ICT. Hence skills of using ICT for creativity matters as much as ICT literacy for daily life.

Adobe Youth Voices Program designed to supports young people to use of cutting-edge multimedia tools to communicate and share their ideas, demonstrate their potential, and create a positive social impact in where they live. In this initiative 2 educators were trained from Sri Lanka. Following is one of the creations of Adobe educator from Sri Lanka. Adobe Youth Voices Program will be initiated in Sri Lanka in 5 Schools, 3 Telecentres, a disabled school and a orphanage to train 100+ Youth and expand further to train creative media educators and youth more next year.

This media peice was created during Adobe Youth Voices Training conducted by Thinking IT Global 2011. This experimental video done as a digital story involved writing a poem, creating a story board, field photography, photo editing and video editing process, used a nikon professional camera, photoshop elements 9, premiere elements 9 and audacity software. The whole production was done in electronic medium including exhibition.

Niranjan Meegammana
Adobe Youth Voices - Educator
http://www.shilpaayura.org

Unsung Poem of Youth

I created this media peice during Adobe Youth Voices Training conducted by Thinking IT Global 2011. This experimenta; video involved writing a poem, creating a story board, photography, photo editing snf video editing using a nikon camera, photo shop elements 9 and premiere elements 9.

Youth Empowerment Soceity : Open New Doors to Future

Youth empowerment is an attitudinal, structural, and cultural process whereby young people gain the ability, authority, and agency to make decisions and implement change in their own lives and the lives of other people in a positive manner, thus include parents, teachers and professionals who would provide support, secure and safe environments for them to flourish

How do we encourage young people to do their BEST?

If we are able to create an environment to evolve their leadership and ensure that they can safely experiment and succeed in developing stronger skills and confidence in future?

Youth problems are not just youth problems,
they are community problems  which requires us to work with parents, teachers, schools, corporates, media and community organisations to address the problems faced by our youth today.

What Youth need to FLOURISH

1. Developing leadership skills

2. Effective communication skills

3. Learn to relax and manage stress

4. Deal with emotions and doubts

5. Increase focus and clarity

6. Better fitness, health and nutrition

7. Understand power and responsibility

8. Develop self confidence and inner strength

9. Develop trust and better interpersonal relationships

10. Problem solving and community building skills

What creates Youth Problems?

Today's competitive educational environment and lifestyles puts youth under pressures which were not experienced by previous generations. Academic competition, peer pressure, family problems and high expectations of parents including increased media exposure create stress and anxiety at an age when youth are undergoing physical and mental changes.  

As a result, stress and depression are widespread in today's youth, preventing them from realising their full potential and putting them at risk of a wide range of problems in the long run.

Our Challange ?

To develop a new empowerment model for youth to develops their academic, technical, personal and social skills including critical thinking and problem solving skills so that they can meet global standards required for success in post secondary education and quality employment in KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY evolving today - faster than NANO.

What many people
don't know about young people ?

1. They like to be cared

o They like to be cared and loved.

o They need to feel safe and secure.

o The more they are cared for, the more secure they feel.

o They need to be surrounded by people who care for, appreciate and accept them unconditionally.

o They need the positive influences of peers and adults to encourage them to do their best.

o They need to be encouraged to appreciate that they are more likely to reach their potential with clear targets they can reach

2. They like to be valued

o The more they are valued the more positive self-worth they experience.

o They need to be encouraged to feel they have some control over things that happen to them.

o Empowering them will be proof that they are valued, respected, liked and are regarded as valuable resources.

o They need fun time to interact with peers and adults, which involves the development of social skills.

o To know that life has meaning and purpose

o Their lives have significance.

o The more they understand that there is a reason for their existence, the more significant they will feel.

o They need encouragement to explore opportunities within and outside of school to learn and develop new skills and interests.

o They are encouraged to acquire a commitment to learning: education success and the long-term value of learning will enhance their self-worth as they discover their gifts and talents.

o They need to appreciate and understand how to make the tough decisions and choices; how to cope with new situations.

o They need guidance to develop a positive view of the future.

What else ?Simply ask them ...

What is needed?To motivate, inspire and encourage young people to reach their full potential.

How ?
Let us bring young people together; create a supportive and secure environment; enable peer to peer collaboration; provide encouragement and mentoring with guidance to realize their full potential in the society

The quality of our future will be the youth we develop today...

Give Youth the Skills and Tools
and They'll Change the World